Rose Is More Than Just a Budding Star

It’s been the blooming of Justin Rose in these four days at the British Open, where the 17-year-old amateur qualifier had his picture plastered over more newspapers than Prince Charles.

The teen with the easy smile tied for third and was actually the top European player--tied with Jesper Parnevik of Sweden and Raymond Russell of Scotland--at two-over-par 282.

Along the way, Rose managed to show a flair for the theatrical. In front of Royal Birkdale’s bulging grandstands at No. 18, Rose chipped in from the rough from 45 yards to end with a birdie that set off thunderous applause.

“I can’t believe it, really,” Rose said. “It was one of those incredible moments--the ball got nearer and nearer and finally disappeared. I couldn’t believe it.”

It was probably his last shot as an amateur. He said Sunday that he is planning to play as a pro in this week’s Denmark Open.

Rose had said he intended to use the British Open to gauge how he might do as a pro.

“At the beginning of the week, all I wanted to be was part of it,” he said. “I didn’t realize I would be such a part of it.”

Rose, who finished his high school level schooling at 16, has been busy getting ready for his professional career. In March, he spent a week in Orlando working with teaching pro David Leadbetter.

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It was a pleasant end to a strange week for Justin Leonard, the defending champion, who walked up the 18th fairway to a nice ovation.

“It brought back memories of last year, although in very different circumstances,” Leonard said.

Last year at Troon, Leonard won the British Open with a 12-under-par score of 272. He closed with a 69 Sunday at Royal Birkdale and wound up with a 17-over total of 297 that included his worst round as a pro on Saturday when he shot an 82.

“I think we need to put an asterisk by yesterday’s round,” he said.

Leonard said his first 12 holes on Sunday were played in rain and the wind blew in the opposite direction from Saturday when the average score was 77.4.

“Maybe it will take me a couple of weeks to work my 82 out of my system, but today’s score certainly helps.

“I learn something every week. I’m not sure what I learned this week.”

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Speed golf: Dudley Hart finished his round of 80 at 10:20 a.m. in 2 hours 20 minutes, then headed for the airport in Manchester to try to catch an 11:50 a.m. flight to New York.

Hart finished last in the field at 30-over 310.

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Fred Couples, who began with a 66 and then went 74-78, finished with an 81. It was his worst score in 46 rounds at the British Open. Couples was at 19-over 299.

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After shooting an 80 in the third round, U.S. Open champion Lee Janzen closed with a 70, an 11-over 291 and a new appreciation for Royal Birkdale.

“I thought it was the toughest golf course I’ve ever played, and that was just in the practice rounds,” he said. “Saturday certainly proved it.

“If I could have kept it reasonable yesterday, I could have been right in there.”

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Ernie Els expects a lot from himself, so he was less than thrilled with his 12-over 292.

“Man, I’m not happy,” he said. “It didn’t go the way I wanted it to.”

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Lee Westwood, 25, of Worksop, England, was one of the pre-tournament favorites, but he shot 16 over on the weekend and wound up at 18-over 298.

He said it wasn’t a lost weekend.

“Two 78s in the last two rounds will not worry me,” Westwood said. “You do not treat majors differently. It’s just another four rounds.”

Westwood, who plays on the PGA European Tour, said the future of European golf is looking pretty good right now with the emergence of Rose, who tied for fourth.

“Rose is obviously a very good player and Thomas Born [of Denmark] is right up there,” Westwood said. “Nick Faldo was worried about European golf a couple of years ago, but players tend to come in spurts.

“Woosie [Ian Woosnam], Seve [Ballesteros], Faldo, Sandy Lyle and [Bernhard] Langer came together. They might have said European golf was poor before they arrived together.”